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DigiGirlz Camp, courtesy of Microsoft

An unusual job paradox has occurred in the United States. The U.S. continues to face high unemployment rates (7.8% as of September 2012) yet American companies cannot find enough workers to fill all the available STEM positions. According to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy research organization based in Washington DC, “American companies urgently need professionals trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, but there are not enough workers with the necessary skills and too few Americans earn post-secondary STEM credentials.”

How can companies bridge the gap and be able to fill all those available STEM jobs? Microsoft is an example of one company not only seeking today’s answers, they are looking into the future and focusing on the group believed to be a key solution: Women.

Companies are beginning to target women for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) because women are currently tremendously under-represented in these areas. “Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs. This has been the case throughout the past decade, even as college-educated women have increased their share of the overall workforce” (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2011).

Rane Johnson (rt) and Katie Doran, courtesy of Microsoft

The question for Microsoft became, “How can we engage and inspire young women toward a career in STEM, especially given it’s been a historically male-dominated industry and culture?” said Rane Johnson-Stempson, a research director at Microsoft who is leading the company’s efforts to grow the pipeline of women in research, science, and engineering. “What we realized is we needed to build a bridge to the future by getting girls excited in STEM early in their lives, and then keeping them engaged and supporting their learning all the way through their college education, internships, and into their careers.”

Microsoft believes they need diverse teams to encourage innovation and ensure technological advancements. With women accounting for only 18% of the Bachelor’s degrees awarded in computer and information sciences and support services in the U.S. as of 2009-2010, Rane and Microsoft realize the need to grow interest at a younger age to attract more women to the field of technology. Working with their communities, governments, NGOs/IGOs, and academic and research institutions, they inspire women with creative thinking skills to pursue technical careers.

Out of this creative process came programs Microsoft now offers and supports both domestically and globally to engage and encourage young women in the technology field. There is DigiGirlz High Tech Camp, which targets girls 13 years and up. The camp is a three-day program giving young girls an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with technology, participate in technology tours and workshops, listen to executive speakers, and network with those in the industry. “During the camp, we work to dispel the stereotypes of the high-tech industry and help girls overcome fears that technology is ‘geeky’ and not for girls,” added Johnson-Stempson.